AMMAN — HRH Prince Hassan, president of the Arab Thought Forum and chairman of the Board of Trustees at El Hassan Bin Talal Centre for Jerusalem Studies, on Tuesday participated in the opening session of the international conference, Jerusalem Historians, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

The two-day conference, attended by a number of Muslim and Christian religious figures, was organised by the centre, in partnership with the forum.

In his address, the prince called for cementing Arab presence in the holy city, in a way that instills hope for Arabs, Muslims and Christians, under occupation.

Highlighting the importance of heritage, culture and identity, the prince urged employing 21st century technologies to document and preserve intellectual and material heritage.

Prince Hassan also renewed the call for establishing a centre for humanities in the Mediterranean basin, which would be a meeting point between different cultures. He pointed to the importance of recognising the identity of the other, and working to crystallise cultural and civilisational commonalities.

The forum’s secretary general Mohammad Abu Hammour said that the conference aims to raise awareness of the history, present and future of Jerusalem.

Director of El Hassan Bin Talal Centre for Jerusalem Studies Mohammad Ghosheh indicated that the centre aims to familiarise researchers with the history and heritage of the holy city by providing sources and facilities for all students to bring Jerusalem-related works and the city’s heritage to the fore.

The international conference, which will continue for two consecutive days, will bring together a group of historians, researchers, thinkers and scholars at the local, Arab and international levels.